Some Kind of Wonderful
by Khalizzie
Summary: Cha Eun Sang is granted a scholarship at the country's most prestigious high school: Jeguk High School. Rebellious heir Choi Young Do does everything to rid Jeguk High of scholars. Cha Eun Sang collides head to head with Choi Young Do and in such a short period of time, there is already enough bad blood between the two of them. Will they be able to tolerate each other's presence?
1. Cat and Mouse

**"This table is mine,"** Choi Young Do plopped his plate down next to hers.

Cha Eun Sang stopped chewing her food for a moment.

"This is mine," Choi Young Do motioned at the table where Cha Eun Sang was eating lunch by herself.

She did not bother to look at him. Instead, she continued to chew her food down even when she felt him sit on the empty chair beside her.

"Aren't you going to leave?" he asked.

Annoyed, she put her plate and drinks on the tray then stood without a word. She made a move to transfer to a nearby table to eat in peace.

Cha Eun Sang shrieked, "what the hell?"

Choi Young Do smirked. He stuck out his foot to trip her, he succeeded. Students started to gather around their area.

She was curled on the floor, holding the tray of food she was carrying. Well, there was no food on the tray now. There they were, scattered on the floor and on her school uniform.

"Are you okay?" Young Do asked in mock concern.

Cha Eun Sang let out a sarcastic laugh. Only a fool wouldn't have seen or known that he purposely tripped her over. She stared at him with eyes like dagger.

He reached out a hand to help her stand, but, she didn't take it. "Don't touch me," she snapped.

She helped herself stand up, clearly fighting her tears and hating him even more than usual.

He was taken aback by the anger, no, more like hatred in her eyes. But he ignored it. He shrugged, "okay." He made a move towards her, "who knows, this might be your last day at Jeguk High."

He is feared and hated by every student for so many reasons but there is always this one concrete fact everyone knows: that his father is a major shareholder of their school and that no matter the number of times he violates the school rules they can never kick him out from _his _own school.

However, he could have someone kicked out.

Just last week, he filed a lawsuit against Moon Joon-youn. The latter hit him after he was provoked. "Good," he thought It took Moon Joon-youn long enough to get this provoked by my bullying. Someone like him, someone of his welfare status doesn't deserve to stay in Jeguk High. He threatened Joon-youn with the lawsuit he filed; he told him that he would drop the lawsuit once he drops out of Jeguk High or once he transfers to another school.

Joon-youn stopped coming to Jeguk High since their talk on Thursday.

Once every five years his father (Choi Dong-Wook) grants scholarships to one student who comes from a lower class family background but intelligent enough to deserve the scholarship grant, and probably smart enough to survive Jeguk High. This school year, however, there were already three scholars who forfeited their scholarship, no thanks to him.

Cha Eun Sang was the newest transferee. He did not really bother girls before. She just became his target by association-she was Kim Tan's closest friend and he figured that bothering her was the best way to annoy the latter. Kim Tan, his best friend until just recently.

He smirked when he saw a trace of panic passed by her eyes. She was standing now, her eyes in level with his. She lifted her chin defiantly, "I can't wait to not ever deal with your infantile antics again."

He could feel the eyes of the students looking at them.

He walked towards her as if to intimidate her, "What did you just say?"

But Cha Eun Sang, she didn't budge. Not even one bit. "I don't have the habit of repeating myself."

He grinned and moved one step closer to her. His voice low, but, clear enough to be heard. "You are just a charity case in this school."

He saw her clenched and unclenched her fist. She narrowed her eyes and folded her arms, like she was forcing herself to just stand there. Like what she really wanted to do was hit him with a tray.

"Move!"

He looked as she walked away, out of the cafeteria. Amused, he started to laugh.

* * *

**"THAT CHOI YOUNG DO!"**

Cha Eun Sang screamed, frustrated. She ran out of expletives. She'd stayed in the washroom for over ten minutes, dabbing wet tissue on her stained school uniform but the stains weren't coming off.

She sighed. "I just hope I could remove these stains once I soaked them in bleaching powder."

She sighed again and pointed at her reflection in the mirror. "Cha Eun Sang, you should never give Choi Young Do the satisfaction of kicking you out of this prestigious school."

She fixed her hair, then walked towards the door.

She turned the doorknob. "Huh? What's wrong with this door?"

She turned the doorknob again. Again. And Again. And Again. "What is this?"

"You're locked in there until you apologize to me," she heard a voice from outside.

"What?"

"Cha Eun Sang, apologize to me."

"Choi Young Do?"

She heard him chuckle. "The one and only."

She pounded on the door. "Are you crazy? Let me out of here!"

She had to go to her part-time job. She was absent for three days because her mom got sick and she had to take care of her. This morning, when she dropped by the coffee shop she works at after three consecutive days of absence, she told her boss that yesterday would be the last time she would be absent.

"You just have to say the magic word then I'll let you out," she heard him say behind the closed door.

She rolled her eyes even when he couldn't see her. She took out her phone to send Kim Tan a text and inform him of the situation. But. Phone battery was dead. Frustrated, she let out a heavy breath.

"Okay, Young Do. I apologize," she said in between gritted teeth.

"There you go, but, try to sound sincere."

She rolled her eyes again, the freak sure sounded pleased.

"I am sorry for everything," she said, trying to sound as sincere as she possibly could.

She heard him chuckle. "That's more like it. Apology accepted."

She heard the door clicked. She turned the knob, it opened.

Choi Young Do sure looked please with himself. He was standing by the side of the door as she walked out the washroom.

"Good job," he clapped as soon as he saw her came out of the washroom.

She haughtily walked towards him and without warning, she kicked him as hard as she possibly could.

"Aw!" he snapped at her. "What the hell did you do that for?" he asked, slightly stroking his hurt leg.

She smirked, "haven't I already apologized for everything?" She almost laughed at the look of frustration in his face. "Everything, including the things I'll do in the future," she added.

"You're unbelievable!" he exclaimed.

"Strike one," she thought. She walked right past him, a triumphant smile played on her lips.

Off to her part-time job she went.


	2. Play it like a Game

"**Hi, may I take your or—"**

Cha Eun Sang stopped in mid-sentence when she saw who her customer was.

Her smile died on her lips. Choi Young Do, however, smiled at her sweetly. She knew what that smile meant.

You know how when you really abhor someone and that every time you see them you want to slit their throats open, but, you can't do that and you don't want to give them the satisfaction of letting them know how annoyed you are by their presence so you give them your sweetest smile instead? That's what that his smile meant.

"Hello, Cha Eun Sang," he greeted her as if they were friends.

"This guy is a total psycho," she thought.

She forced a smile. "Hello, Sir. May I know what you're having?"

"One Macchiato. Grande, " he said, genuinely smiling.

"For here?"

"Yes."

"Anything else?"

He shook his head, "No. Just that."

She nodded and punched his order in. "Okay. One Caramel Macchiato grande, that'll be $3."

He frowned, "did you say grande?"

She nodded.

"I asked for a venti," he pointed out.

She glared at him, then in her sweetest voice, "I am so sorry. I must have misheard you. Let me repeat your order: One venti Caramel Macchiato."

He nodded, "yup. That's it."

"Okay. One Caramel Macchiato, venti. And that'll be $3."

She handed him his receipt after he paid for what he bought. "Please just claim it on the counter to your left."

"Oh, wait."

She smiled, albeit a forced one. "Yes, sir?"

He looked around and behind him. "Can I add one more order? No one's lining up, anyway."

He flashed her a mocking smile.

She breathed in. "I know what you're doing, asshole," she said to herself.

She was fuming. She was almost catatonic with frustration. She was sure he deliberately changed orders just so he could annoy her.

She knew what game this jerk was playing. He was trying to provoke her just how he provoked the scholar at Jeguk High before her. He was trying to provoker her and if she gave in, the management would reprimand her and it would be just a matter of time when she would then lose her job.

"Well, I am not going to give you that satisfaction, Choi Young Do," she thought.

"Of course," she faked a smile.

"I'd like to have a slice of cake to go with my coffee," he smiled.

He pointed at the carrot cake. "Give me one slice of that."

"Anything else you'd like to add before I punch in your order, Sir?" She asked, emphasis on the word _Sir._

He thought for a bit, "uhm, no. That's fine."

"Okay then. One slice of—"

"Hold on. Cancel the carrot cake," he looked and smiled at her sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I just can't seem to make up my mind."

She was sure her lips would have lacerations if she didn't stop smiling soon enough. "It's okay, _Sir_. Take your time so you can figure out what you really want."

She was sure the undertone in her voice didn't go unnoticed by Choi Young Do. "I am going to murder you!" she screamed inwardly.

"I'd like a slice of blueberry cheesecake instead," he smiled then thanked her as he walked towards the counter.

She rolled her eyes in frustration and she let out a heavy sigh.

No, she couldn't let that jerk ruin her day. She wouldn't let him kill her vibe.

_That's it, Cha Eun Sang. Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out._

She went back to work and tried to shake off the urge to put chainsaw his body in half.

* * *

"**Thank God, shift's over,"** she thought as she walked towards the intersection where she usually rides the bus home.

She let out a shriek. Somebody tripped her and she almost fell.

"I saved you."

She whipped around at the voice. "Choi Young Do!"

He smirked, "the one and only."

She shook her head and let out a sigh of frustration. "What do you want?"

"I saved you from falling face down, shouldn't you be thanking me?"

She laughed sarcastically. "You tripped me," she pointed out. He did save her with a hand grab, though.

"But I saved you," he said as if echoing what she just thought. "Besides, you should look where you're going instead of fantasizing about going back to Jeguk High while you walked."

She frowned. Just how long had he been standing in this corner, waiting for the chance to stick out his foot and trip her? Was he really that bothered that she's friends with Kim Tan?

_Could it be that..._She laughed when the thought occurred to her.

"I don't see how you can laugh at this," he sure sounded irritated.

"Your obsession with Kim Tan is amazing. Do you, by chance, have the hots for him?" she asked in between laughs.

She laughed harder when she saw the look on his face. She waved her hand, shooing his protests off. "I know you're doing this because you're jealous of me. I don't know what happened between the two of you in the past, but, since I happen to be his friend, you hate me by association."

Choi Young Do looked completely taken aback. "What? What are you talking about?"

She couldn't stop laughing. "Don't you worry. Kim Tan doesn't see me as a woman, so you won't have to compete with me."

He started laughing, too. "What? You think I'm, I'm…gay? For him?"

She raised an eyebrow, "That's not what I said."

He started to laugh, soft short tentative laughter at first then total uncontrollable laughter as if she just said something ridiculous. He looked as if he was really amused.

"Go home, Cha Eun Sang," he said in between laughs.

It was the first time she saw him laugh like that, like he had so much fun. His eyes laughed along with his mouth. She thought she always saw him laugh whenever he bullied students form their school, but, only now did she realize that those were empty laughs. His laughter here, right now, at this corner, made him seem like he was actually human.

He was too preoccupied with his laughter that it felt safe for her to watch him.

She didn't even notice he was still holding her hand.


	3. Strike While the Ramen is Hot

**Choi Young Do** started eating the cup noodles he bought at the convenience store.

He frequented convenience stores because these were the only places where it was not odd for someone to be eating by himself. He liked that he could eat instant noodles and not be bothered that he was eating alone, that he was alone.

He looked at the window and there he saw Cha Eun Sang walking by herself. Hands in her pocket, headset on her ears.

He almost jolted when their eyes met through the glass window of the convenience store.

He saw her walk towards the entrance.

She did not look at him; instead she directly went to look for something. And paid as soon as she found whatever stuff she looked to buy.

He stuck his foot out to trip her, she shrieked. "what the hell?"

He saved her with a hand grab. "Am I invisible? Didn't you see me?"

She eyed at him sharply and jerked her hand away from his.

He tsked three times. "What a way to thank me for saving you from falling face down."

She took her headphones off her ears and snarled at him, "you tripped me, jerk."

She looked around, sat on the chair from the table across his and started chewing her noodles down.

He frowned. "What are you doing? I was here first."

She did not look up and continued eating as if she didn't hear him.

"Hey!" He tried to catch her attention, but, she put her headset back on; determined not to hear him and to treat him like he was the invisible man.

"Hey, Cha Eun Sang!" He threw a crumpled paper towards her and it landed on her noodles. She violently jerked the headphones off her ears and stood with hands on her waist.

"Did you know how much I paid for this?" she asked, referring to her ramen.

He knew she was fighting the urge to hit him with a chair, but, he just shrugged it off.

She walked towards him and kicked him hard on the leg.

"Ouch!" he cried out in pain.

She eyed at him sharply. "You may think that you're the god at Jeguk High, but, this is not Jeguk High!"

"This is not your empire, Your Highness," she added sarcastically.

He stroked his hurt leg, "I'm gonna sue you for this!"

She laughed. "Oh yeah? On what ground?" She paused, "physical injury?"

She laughed again. She made a hand gesture as if she was reporting a news. "Choi Young Do files a lawsuit against Cha Eun Sang because the latter kicked him so hard he couldn't move for days!"

Insulted, he snarled at her, "hey!"

She snarled back at him. "Don't you _hey_ me. Pay me for the food that I wasn't able to finish up!" she held out her hand towards him.

He laughed. "Why should I?"

She rolled her eyes in frustration. She kicked him again. This time, she kicked so hard she almost went out of balance.

"Ouch!" he cried out in pain. "What the hell?"

She held out her hand the way one would expect a payment. "Pay me."

He pushed her hand aside. "Do you know who you're talking to, charity case?"

She narrowed her eyes at him. She looked down and she saw his ID on the table. Without any second thoughts, she grabbed his ID and made a run to the door.

"Hey!"

He almost fell off his chair trying to stand up and run after her.

"Hey, Cha Eun Sang!" He called out as soon as he went out the convenience store and saw her running towards the bus stop.

He was almost out of breath when he reached her. He saw her clutched his ID tighter. "Give me that back," he held out his hand.

* * *

"**What the hell?** How was he able to run this fast?" Cha Eun Sang thought as she caught her breath.

"Cha Eun Sang!" She almost jumped at the sound of Choi Young Do's voice.

She was surprised by how angry he sounded. "No, this isn't the time to be surprised. This freak is always angry anyway, so it doesn't matter," she comforted herself.

She looked at him and held out her left hand clutching his ID. He made a move to get it.

"Oops! Not so fast, Mister!" She put his ID on the back pocket of her jeans. She looked at him and said, "I'll be keeping this as a collateral until you pay me for that cup noodles."

She couldn't keep herself from smiling when she saw the look on his face.

"Serves you right," she thought.

Choi Young Do let out a frustrated sigh. "Cha Eun Sang, give me my ID back."

He breathed deeply, "Give it back while I'm asking nicely."

She smirked. "_Nice_ doesn't suit you."

He glared at her, she glared back. "You're rich. You can pay. That ramen costs not more than a dollar,' she pointed out unflustered.

"Exactly! That ramen is just a dollar so why are you making such a fuss about it?" he snapped.

She felt a sudden wave of anger at his words. "Well, that dollar is a big deal for poor people like me!"

"But you don't and won't understand that because you just go around spending money that you don't even work hard for," she added.

She walked away from him. She breathed deeply. Huh! How dare he?

He ran after her and he grabbed her arm so hard that she was forced to face him. "Just what did you mean by that?"

"Oh, I don't know. You tell me," she eyed at him sharply and jerked her arm back. "And, it's just an ID! Why are you making such a big fuss about it?"

They both knew that wasn't true. It wasn't just an ID.

No student could enter Jeguk High without an ID, not even Choi Young Do. The guards were really strict about the No ID, No Entry policy.

If he showed up at school with no ID, he could get in trouble not only with the principal but also with his father. And he wouldn't want that, would he? Given the number of troubles he'd put himself in, his father might just be the one to kick him out of his own school.

She smiled at the thought. "Eat dirt, Choi Young Do," she said to herself. She saw him clenched his jaw.

Under different circumstances and if Choi Young Do were a different person, she would have found him interesting. She liked it when guys get angry and their jaw does the thing.

She noticed he couldn't hide the anger in his voice. "You're definitely asking for it, aren't you? You don't know who you're messing with!"

"Oh, I know what you are, Choi Young Do." And with that, she left.

"This is pointless," she thought as she walked away from him. "There's no point arguing with him."

"You wouldn't be so confident if you really knew who I am!" he shouted back from behind her.

She didn't bother looking back and continued to walk away from him.

"You don't know me!"

She gasped at the sound of his voice.

How was he able to catch up with her and how in the Earth did she not feel him falling into a step with her?

She abruptly stopped walking, so did he. She faced him.

"I know people like you," she said calmly. "People who do whatever they want just because they can and they hide behind their social status. You're no better than a monster."

She was surprised by the look on his face. She thought she saw a flicker of pain cross his eyes but it was gone as soon as she saw it.

"A monster, you say?"

Well, it looked like she just imagined that hurt look after all.

"Well, until you can pay me, I'll keep this ID. I'll see you in school! Have fun negotiating with the guards!"

She walked away from him. And with a triumphant smile displayed on her lips, she put her headphones back on.

_Strike two._


	4. And So It Begins

**He had been thinking about his conversation with Myung Soo a week ago.**

"_Just why did you do that?" Myung Soo asked, catching up to his brisk walk._

"_Did what?"_

"_You usually don't bother girls," Myung Soo paused. "But why bother Cha Eun Sang?"_

_He stopped dead in his tracks. "I've been asking myself the same thing," he shrugged._

_Myung Soo frowned at him. He shook his head. "I don't know, maybe I was just curious how I would feel if I embarrass her like that."_

_Myung Soo frowned deeper. "What do you mean?"_

_He shrugged and continued walking as if the conversation never happened._

_Myung Soo caught up to him. "You should go apologize to her, you know?"_

_He laughed. The suggestion sounded absurd. "Are you kidding?"_

"_Seriously, man. You should apologize to her."_

_He whipped around at the suggestion. Myung Soo added, "didn't you see her face when she walked out of the cafeteria?"_

_He frowned. Something about what Myung Soo said must have triggered his guilt, so he looked around for Cha Eun Sang._

"_Hey, Rachel! Have you seen Cha Eun Sang?"_

_Rachel looked at him suspiciously, but, she told him anyway. "She's at the washroom, I guess."_

_He rushed to the washroom, but, as soon as he reached the door, all his resolve of apologizing to her flew away._

_He locked the door from the outside just in case Cha Eun Sang came out of the washroom before he could even formulate his apology._

_But Cha Eun Sang started turning the door knob even before he could think of what to say to her. _

_He heard her turned the doorknob. "Huh? What's wrong with this door?"_

_He heard her turned the doorknob again. Again. And Again. And Again. "What is this?" he heard her behind the closed door._

_What would he say if she asked him what he's doing here?_

_Would he say he was here to apologize? That's just absurd. He blamed Myung Soo for even planting the idea in his head._

_Overwhelmed because he was not able think of an apologetic statement, he asked her to apologize to him instead._

"_You're locked in there until you apologize to me," he told her._

He shook his head to clear the memory off.

For days, he couldn't shake this guilty feeling off. He thought that after he embarrassed Cha Eun Sang in front of everyone in school, he would feel okay because that would mean Kim Tan would be hurt and annoyed as fvck. That would mean he succeeded.

He couldn't understand, though, why he kind of felt bad for Cha Eun Sang. Why in heaven's name did tripping her over upset him, too? He shook his head to shake the feeling off.

He was curious about Cha Eun Sang, sure. He just did not understand why her opinion about him kind of bothered him. He never cared about anyone's opinion about him before, so why would he be bothered now? A charity case's opinion about him shouldn't bear that much weight, should it?

The sky made a rumbling sound and he looked up. The clouds looked like they'd break soon and he'd have to rush home to avoid getting caught in the rain. He only brought his motorcycle to school, so he could not risk getting drenched in rain while riding.

Earlier this morning when he waited for her at the gate, he was tempted to apologize. He did not want to understand why he felt apologetic, so he shrugged it off.

"_Hello, Cha Eun Sang!"_

_Cha Eun Sang gasped at the sound of his voice._

"_Choi Young Do! What the—"_

_Cha Eun Sang stopped in mid-sentence when he took her hand and put a dollar in there._

"_Now, where's my ID?"_

_She made a face and rummaged through her backpack. "Here's your ID," she said, smacking it to his chest._

_She tried to walk past him, but, he stuck out his foot to trip her only to save her with a hand-grab._

_She gasped then jerked her arm back as soon as she calmed down. "What the hell, Choi Young Do?"_

"_Be careful. You keep on tripping over someone's foot," he laughed._

"_You tripped me, stupid!"_

_"I saved you," he retorted._

_"Wow. Is everything you do double-sided?"_

_Before he could even think of a clever come back, Kim Tan walked up to them._

"_Why don't you just go on ahead, Choi Young Do? You have more students to bully."_

_He sharply looked at Kim Tan and started to walk away from them towards the gate._

He almost jolted when his phone chimed, signaling he had a text message. It brought him back from his reverie.

There was no way Cha Eun Sang would see him here, up on the gym's rooftop. She was sitting on the corner bench, reading a book, headset on her ears. As if reading alone was not enough to shut the world out.

Cha Eun Sang tied her hair in a ponytail, but, Kim Tan appeared from out of nowhere and sat beside her. He untied her ponytail.

Cha Eun Sang looked lovely today-hair tied in a ponytail and loose in seconds because of Kim Tan.

"That Kim Tan is resplendent," Choi Young Do thought.

Cha Eun Sang stood up and held out her hand to Kim Tan, which, the latter gladly took.

While walking, Kim Tan was busy untying her hair and stamping on her school shoes.

Kim Tan took a bad step forward, and Cha Eun Sang lost her balance. He caught her with a strong arm around her waist.

He shook his head. "Don't they just shine together?" he thought sarcastically.

"They look good together, don't they?"

Choi Young Do wanted to whip around at the voice, but caught himself. Didn't even bother turning his head. "Hello, Rachel."

"Stop wasting your time," she said, sounding exhausted. "Cha Eun Sang is his closest friend now. It's only a matter of time before he thinks she's his destiny."

He frowned at her.

Rachel shrugged her shoulders, "Cha Eun Sang is pretty. And to be fair, she's got a personality."

"He won't be able to help it," Rachel added.

"I know," Choi Young Do said, walking away from the view. "Neither will I."


	5. Much Ado About Nothing

"Hello, Cha Eun Sang. Enjoyed your date with Kim Tan?"

Cha Eun Sang whipped around at the voice. She saw Choi Young Do leaning against the wall just beside their school's entrance.

She smirked, "If I didn't know any better, I would think you were waiting for me."

Choi Young Do walked away from the gate and started to walk beside her. "I was waiting for you," he confirmed.

She looked at him and frowned, "why?"

He shrugged. "Nothing. I was just gonna give you this," he handed her a brown envelope.

She wondered, "what is this?"

He urged her to go check it and she did.

_SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF MARIN_

_Choi Young Do_

_Plaintiff_

_Vs_

_Cha Eun Sang_

_Defendant_

_Complain for: Theft_

_Plaintiff Choi Young Do (hereinafter "Plaintiff"), makes the following allegations_

_against Defendant Cha Eun Sang (hereinafter "Defendant")._

_**JURISDICTION AND VENUE**_

_This Court has jurisdiction over all causes of action asserted herein pursuant to_

_the California Constitution, Article VI, Section 10, because this case is a cause not given by statute to other trial courts._

She did not finish reading; she had an idea what was going on.

She fought the urge to crumple the paper, so she waved it at him. "What is this?"

"A complaint," he said casually.

She fumed. "I know it's a complaint, dummy! But theft?! Just what did I steal from you?"

He acted innocent and unknowing. "Oh, my. Did you forget how you stole my ID that time in the convenience store?"

"You are a total psycho!" She exclaimed exasperatedly.

"I have a copy of the CCTV in there," he said, indicating the brown envelope. "The video is so clear. Why, you're even telegenic," he added, sounding amused.

Enraged, she kicked him hard on the shins.

"Ouch! What did you do that for?" Choi Young Do cried out in pain.

"It wasn't stealing, you idiot!"

She kicked him again, but, this time he anticipated it so she missed. "You are despicable! Much more despicable than Hitler!"

He laughed, "wow! It's such an honor to be at par with Hitler."

Irked, she smacked the paper against his chest. "I may be poor, but, I am not a thief."

She could tell that he was surprised by the rage in her voice more so in her eyes.

"You're the thief here. You steal opportunities from scholars like me who are barely making it," she added.

He took the paper then looked at her intently. "Relax, I will drop the law suit," he declared.

She was so tempted to throw her bag right at his face, but, she decided against it; she did not want to hurt the bag. Besides, her bag has her books, and they're expensive.

She smirked. "This is all just a game to you, isn't it?"

She fumed when she saw him look so casual, like it wasn't a big deal.

He raised both of his hands, like he was surrendering. "I will drop the law suit, so just rel—"

"If you tell me to relax one more time, I will stab you in the neck with a pen," she screamed, sounding frustrated.

She frowned when she saw him laugh whole-heartedly.

"This guy is a total pyscho," she thought. "How could he even laugh at a serious matter like this?"

"Really," he added when she eyed him suspiciously. "I will drop the law suit."

"I can hear a _but_ or an _if_," she supplied.

"But you have to eat lunch with me," he said casually.

She laughed hysterically. "You're kidding."

He looked serious. "No, I'm not."

She abruptly stopped laughing. She frowned, "really? Just like that?"

He shrugged. "Yes, just like that."

She thought about it. It would be a huge financial and emotional blow if Choi Young Do decided to proceed with the lawsuit. Besides, it's just lunch. Also, she had a lot of stuff to attend to: her part-time job, her scholarship, her mother. Her mother is just barely making money working as a masseuse, she didn't want to make her worry some more by engaging herself in a complicated legal process.

She would most likely lose, anyway. How could she dispute that when she couldn't even afford a lawyer? And even if there were pro bono lawyers, she still wouldn't want to go through all that. Her scholarship grant might be forfeited.

"No big deal," she thought. Besides, what's the worst thing that could happen?

"Okay. Lunch, tomorrow," she said then started to walk away from him.

He caught up to her. "I didn't mean just one lunch."

She turned around to face him. "What?"

"Eat lunch with me," he declared. "For two weeks."

Her eyes grew wide. "Two weeks? Are you crazy?"

She eyed at him, waiting for a reply. "No! Absolutely, not! Not two weeks," she protested.

She violently shook her head.

"How can I afford to buy two lunch meals when I can barely buy a meal for myself?" she thought.

"Don't worry. It's on me. I'll pay for everything," he said, as if he was able to read her mind.

She looked at him, surprised. "Why would you do that?"

He shrugged, "because I have the money and you don't."

He walked away from her, she caught up to him and grabbed his shirt sleeve. "Why? Doesn't it defeat your purpose?"

He looked down at her hand that grabbed his sleeve.

Embarrassed, she removed her hand away from his right sleeve. She tried to look preoccupied by tucking loose hair strands behind her ears.

"What purpose?"

"Ah, uh…" She cursed inwardly. Why was she stuttering?

She cleared her throat. "Your purpose was to make me pay for making you look stupid on that convenien—"

She decided against saying what she wanted to say when she saw the look on his face. "I mean, why would you pay for those lunch meals?"

He put his right hand on the right side of the front pocket of his jeans. "Who told you that I intend to make you pay for the lunch meal and everything besides that?"

She scratched her head for lack of anything to say. She frowned at him, "You're really bat-shit crazy."

She frowned when she remembered something. "Why would you do that?"

He looked at her funny. "I already told you. I have the money and you don't."

She shook her head. "No, not that," she looked at him.

"Why did you ask me to eat lunch with you just so you could drop the lawsuit? Why didn't you ask me to leave this school just like what you did to…" she stopped talking when she saw him look at her sharply.

"So, you'd rather leave Jeguk High than to eat lunch with me?" he asked, a trace of hurt in his voice. Or did she just imagine it?

"That's not what I meant—"

"Okay, then. Leave this school by Monday, then I'll drop the lawsuit," he walked away from her fast.

She had to run to catch up to him. "Choi Young Do! Hey, Choi Young Do!"

She grabbed him by the arm. "What is wrong with you? I agreed to having lunch with you so you'll drop the lawsuit, didn't I?"

She saw his face lit up. "Okay. See you for lunch tomorrow, then."

"How do I know you won't back out on your word?"

He smiled at her, and she was taken aback. For a few fleeting seconds, she felt uneasy. It must be because she did not expect him to smile at her. Not that way. The sweet kind.

"You can trust me. I never back out on my word, Cha Eun Sang," he said then made a turn around the corner.

She stood there on the sidewalk, mouth agape in incredulity.

She watched him walk away, not realizing that she had her right hand formed into a fist against her chest.


	6. The Friendship Begins

Cha Eun Sang ran outside the gates of Jeguk High trying to catch up to Rachel. She looked around and saw no trace of her. "Boy, she's fast," Cha Eun Sang thought.

She made a move to turn around and walk the opposite way when she thought she heard a voice. She stopped in her track.

She looked around again and this time she saw Rachel sitting on the curb, phone held against her left ear. Cha Eun Sang walked towards Rachel but decided against it when she saw that Rachel was still talking to someone over the phone. She practically sat on the road so Rachel's parked car provided her a good cover; not near enough, not far enough either. She could still see Rachel's face and hear her voice clearly.

"Just forget it, mom," she heard Rachel.

She frowned. This was the first time she saw Rachel this upset. Sure, she always looked high and mighty and intimidating and fierce and angry over things, but, never upset.

Looking at her now, Cha Eun Sang realized that she could never blame Rachel for having this air or sense of entitlement. She must have grown up with a sense of entitlement; that's how she must've been brought up.

"I don't know! You tell me! After all, I'm just a means to justify your business ambitions! It doesn't even occur to you that, you know, I might have gotten hurt," Rachel tugged at her pony tail.

She saw Rachel breathed deeply. "It doesn't even occur to you to check how I'm doing because I'm not a daughter to you! I'm just a commodity that you can trade with anyone who—"

Rachel's voice broke in mid-sentence. Cha Eun Sang saw Rachel end the call and put the phone in her blouse's pocket. Rachel had both of her hands on her face, and she could tell she was crying by the way her shoulders shook violently.

She felt like a criminal watching Rachel in her almost if not most vulnerable state. She decided to leave. She stood up from where she was sitting, but, Rachel was already in front of her before she could even step away.

Rachel glared down at her. There were no signs of tears in her face, no signs that she was crying just a few moments ago.

_Wow._

"Just how long have you been here, Cha Eun Sang?"

Rachel's voice hinted more at surprise than anger.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Not that long, really. Just long enough to hear and see everything. No big deal."

Rachel's eyes grew wide. "What?"

"What?" she asked back.

Rachel crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at her. "If you're here because of that, don't bother. I don't need anyone's pity!"

"Don't be so defensive," she countered.

"I'm not defensive!"

She smiled. Rachel sure sounded defensive.

"Nope. I don't pity you." She paused. "Why would I pity you when you're twenty folds richer than I am?"

Rachel smirked. "So, what are you doing here?"

She smiled sheepishly at her. "I just wanted to thank you."

Rachel frowned.

"For what you did earlier," she automatically supplied when she thought Rachel must have forgotten about it.

Rachel stayed poker face. "Poker face game way too strong," she thought.

Rachel uncrossed her arms and walked towards the driver's seat of her car. "I didn't do it for you."

"But, still. Thank you."

She had the misfortune of running into Kang Ye-Sol and Lee Bo Na earlier when she was fixing her hair in the bathroom.

* * *

"_What the hell?" She screamed in frustration when Lee Bo Na suddenly grabbed her bag and threw it on the trash bin. _

_Lee Bo Na crossed her arms and laughed. "That bag isn't expensive, anyway."_

_She counted from one to ten lest she breaks this girl's face._

"_How can you survive at Jeguk High with just a scholarship? Look at you!" Kang Ye-Sol examined her from head to toe. _

"_Aren't you ashamed of yourself?" That was Lee Bo Na._

_She narrowed her eyes. "Why does it bother you so much?" She paused to get her back from the trash bin. "If I didn't know any better, I'd thought you're threatened by my presence," she said while shaking off whatever dirt got to her bag._

_Lee Bo Na laughed dryly. "Wow! Where are you getting that nerve from?"_

_Kang Ye-Sol eyed her sharply. "Where else besides Kim Tan and Choi Young Do?!"_

_Lee Bo Na made a move to grab her hair, but, the last cubicle violently opened just before all her hair exit her scalp. _

_They all looked at the last cubicle and she could tell that everyone was as surprised as her to see Rachel standing there._

"_What are you doing?" Rachel asked calmly. _

"_Why are you even asking?" Lee Bona snarled._

_Rachel smirked. She walked closer to Lee Bo Na until the latter is standing against the tiled bathroom wall. "Because you disturbed my sleep." _

"_It was Cha Eun Sang's fault! She started it!" Kang Ye-Sol reported._

_Cha Eun Sang's eyes darted back to Kang Ye-Sol. "What? Are you out of your—"_

_She stopped in mid-sentence when she heard Rachel answered Kang Ye-Sol. "You liar," Rachel said in a calm voice. Which, she thought, was kinda scary._

_Lee Bo Na pushed Rachel away, but not strong enough because Rachel pushed her back against the wall. _

"_Whatever your problem with her is," Rachel pointed at her. "I don't care. Just don't pick fights in my presence."_

"_A-are you taking her side?" Kang Ye-Sol asked sheepishly._

_Rachel did not answer the question, yet she asked Kang Ye-Sol. "What is your deal? So what if she's here as a scholar?"_

"_Are your parents the ones paying for her education?" Rachel asked, the question directed to both Lee Bo Na and Kang Ye-Sol, obviously._

"_Just leave her alone!" Rachel added, then she let go of Lee Bo Na. _

_Lee Bo Na and Kang Ye-Sol looked at her with eyes like dagger, then left. She watched them leave the washroom, mouth agape in disbelief._

_Did Rachel just save her from those mean girls?_

_Rachel was fixing her hair and she was looking at her through the mirror. _

"_What?" Rachel raised an eyebrow at her. _

_She shook her head. "Nothing."_

_Rachel shrugged her shoulders, then left the washroom before she could even thank her._

* * *

"Hey! Hey! Hey!"

She jumped when Rachel horned.

"Get out of there unless you want me to run you over." Rachel said, car engine's on.

She looked at her. She realized there might be more than meets the eye to the Rachel she thought she knew.

All these bravado she projects might just be her defense mechanism, who knows?

With that, she felt like she wanted to make Rachel feel better after whatever happened between her and her mom. Or maybe about everything that wasn't okay in her life. Also, she wanted to thank her for saving her from Lee Bo Na and Kang Ye-Sol.

She moved over to knock on the passenger's seat window. Rachel rolled the window down. "What are you doing?" She asked, sounding angry.

She smiled. "Do you want to eat ice cream?"

Rachel frowned at her. "It's on me," she said.

"Why?"

She laughed. "What do you mean, why? Ice cream is like the best food in the world!"

"It does not qualify as food," Rachel protested. "It's a dessert."

She held her hands up. "Sure. Fine. Whatever. So, do you want to go eat ice cream?" She paused. "You know, ice creams are effective ways of relieving stress. Plus, it's really delicious."

Rachel looked up at her. "Okay. But I don't want you to think that we're friends now. We're not friends."

She laughed. "Okay. We're not friends."

Rachel nodded. "Just schoolmates who will eat ice cream together. Also, I don't want you to talk about your life or anything about you."

She frowned. "Why?"

Rachel shrugged. "Because I'll be forced to listen and if I listen, we'll become friends."

She laughed almost hysterically. "That's stupid. But, yes. Whatever."

Rachel stifled a smile.

She had always seen Rachel smile sardonically, but, it was the first time she saw her smile that way. Almost if not totally genuine.

Rachel smiled a bit. "Get in."

And she gladly did.


	7. Of Realizations and Denials

"**Mom?"**

Kim Mi-kyung smiled sweetly at Cha Eun Sang. "Oh, you're home. Don't you have to go to work today?"

Cha Eun Sang kicked her shoes off her feet then went directly to the kitchen.

She poured herself a glass of water. "I will, later at 7 tonight. I exchanged shifts with Chan Young."

Chan Young is her classmate and friend from Jeguk High. He also works at the coffee shop that she works at. Apparently, though, Chan Young owns it. He's just working for fun.

"Must be good to work just for fun and not because he really has to," she thought.

She drank her water. "How about you, mom? Don't _you_ have work today?"

Kim Mi-kyung nodded. "I called in sick."

A sudden rush of panic overwhelmed her. She ran to her mom and checked her arms, her pulse, and her forehead. "Are you okay?"

Her mom gently brushed her hands away. "I'm okay," she said, gently tapping Cha Eun Sang's forearm.

She looked at her. "Really? You're not sick again, right?"

Her mom laughed. "Yes. I just wanted to take a break, that's all."

She looked at her dubiously. "You're," she paused. "You're really not sick?"

Her mom smiled at her. "I'm really okay."

"That's good, then," she smiled back. "I'm just gonna go inside my room and change."

She started walking towards her room.

"Someone came over here this morning," her mom announced from behind her back.

"Let me try to remember." Her mom paused. "He said he's your friend," her mom added.

She smiled even though her mom couldn't see it. "Ah, that was Kim Tan."

"No, that wasn't his name," her mom protested.

She frowned.

"He said he was Choi Young Do."

She frowned even deeper. "Choi Young Do was here?"

How in the world did Choi Young Do where she lived?

Now that she thought about it, she did not see Choi Young Do in school today.

"Was he absent?" she thought then turned around and started to walk towards her room.

Her eyes grew wide when she remembered what Rachel asked her earlier while they were having their ice cream.

_She almost choked on her chocolate-flavored ice cream. "What?"_

_Rachel looked serious. "Do you like Choi Young Do?"_

_She laughed almost hysterically. "No!"_

"_No! Really, no!" she added when she saw the look on Rachel's face._

_She wanted to ask Rachel what made her ask that, but, decided against it._

_Rachel just looked at her then shrugged her shoulders._

Her mom's voice woke her from her reverie. "He asked me if I'd let you meet him for dinner." Her mother paused. "Are you dating that guy?"

She whipped around at the voice. "No, mom," she answered, almost shouting.

"Ew!" She added when her mom looked at her funny. "I'm not dating that guy. Ew! I just owed him some lunch," she added, trying not to sound defensive.

* * *

**She gasped.**

"I saved you." Choi Young Do paused. "Again."

Her shriek died in her throat when she saw Choi Young Do.

He was holding her hand.

You know, the usual. He stuck out his foot to trip her only to save her with a hand grab.

She tried to jerk her hand away from his, but, he held onto it. Tightly so.

She felt her face turn red. Her heart started to beat fast.

She tried to pull her hand away again; he still didn't let go.

"Of course, who wouldn't be nervous—scared even— when you almost fell face down?" she thought to herself.

"And if I were holding a tray full of coffee, things would be really bad," she added.

She was not sure why she was trying to analyze why her heart was rioting; it felt like it wanted to get out of her rib cage.

She jerked her hand away from his again. This time, he let go.

She cleared her throat. "Wh-why are you here?"

She cursed inwardly. Just why was she stuttering?

She wanted to ask him what he was doing at his house earlier. She also wanted to ask him how he found out where she lived, but, decided against those ideas.

He smiled at her mockingly. "To pick you up, what else?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Can't you see I'm working?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, too. "Can't you see what time it is?"

She looked at the wall clock displayed just right above the door. The clock said it's 9:30 in the evening.

"Oh, sh—"

"Language, Cha Eun Sang," Choi Young Do interrupted her.

She snubbed him squarely and hurriedly went to her manager's office.

Her shift was over 30 minutes ago, but, she did not notice the time. There were a lot of customers, plus, she was thinking about her homework. She hasn't done any. Not yet, at least.

"All right. Bye!" she said as she walked out of the manager's office.

She hurriedly took her apron off, grabbed her bag on the shelf just below the counter, and made a run to the door.

"Whoah, whoah," Choi Young Do blocked her way. "Hold up, what's the rush?"

She tried to walk past him. "Get out of the way."

He was still blocking her way. She sighed, "I need to catch the last bus. Duh."

The last train is at 9:30, but, it sometimes leaves at 9:45. So, if she's lucky, she could still catch that bus on the way home.

She went out and walked as fast as she could, Choi Young Do trailed behind her.

"Hey," he called out from behind her back. "Hey," he called out again, sounding irritated.

* * *

**Choi Young Do** walked faster so he could walk past Cha Eun Sang. And when he did, he blocked her way.

"Hey! I didn't come to your coffee shop so you could just leave after your shift is over," he said, not even masking his irritation.

She raised an eyebrow. "Who told you to come to the coffee shop?"

He laughed mockingly. "You must have forgotten that you owed me ten lunch meals."

She looked at him. "No, I haven't." She paused. "So I'll see you at lunch tomorrow, then."

He grabbed her by the shoulders. "You owed me a lunch today."

She looked at him, perplexed. He looked at her, too. And when he realized that his hands were on her shoulders, he removed his hands away from them quickly. As if he was burned.

He broke their gaze by looking down at his watch.

"Well, I wasn't the one who was absent," he heard her say.

"I had some family business to attend to," he told her. "Besides, it's not like I planned on being absent."

He sighed in frustration when he found himself explaining.

Why was he explaining to her?

"What made you come all the way here?" Cha Eun Sang paused. "You even came to my house."

He swallowed. "N-nothing. Just wanted to remind you not to forget the ten lunch meals you owed me."

Cha Eun Sang crossed her arms. "There are only nine lunch meals left. You were absent, not my fault."

He massaged his temples. "You know what, you're right," he said as he grabbed her by the arm. "Let's go."

He felt her tensed but only for a few fleeting seconds. She frowned at him, "what are you doing?"

He walked while he half-dragged her. "We're eating dinner, that way there'll be nine meals left."

"Hey! I cannot miss the last bus home!" She protested and tried to hold her ground, but, he dragged her until she had no choice but to walk behind him.

"If you don't let go of my arm, I will break your wrist."

He automatically released her arm and then pretended to check his phone to mask his embarrassment.

"You haven't had dinner yet, right?" he turned around to look at her.

Cha Eun Sang shrugged. "I'm okay. I'm not even hungry."

He laughed as her stomach made a rumbling sound indicating hunger.

"Your stomach doesn't lie," he smiled. "Come on. It's on me."

She looked at him through narrowed eyes. "As long as it's not poisoned."

He shook his head. "I don't have any plans of poisoning you." He looked at her and added, "at least not until the ten lunch meals are over."

"Nine," she corrected him and walked ahead of him.

She turned around to face him and he just looked at her. She looked different with her hair down. There was nothing but the bright street lights to illuminate her face, but, looking at her now with her hair down, arms crossed against her chest, her left eyebrow slightly raised, it was as if it was the other way around.

It was as if her face illuminated the whole city.

"Hey! What are you doing standing there?"

He jolted at the sound of her voice. He shook his head then walked towards her.

They walked together, side by side, and then they fell into a step.


	8. Heart Like an Empty Room

**Cha Eun Sang's** stomach made a rumbling sound indicating hunger.

"Your stomach doesn't lie," Choi Young Do smiled. "Come on. It's on me."

She looked at him and hesitated. If she went with him now, she would surely miss the last bus home and she would have to take a cab. That would mean additional expenses. But then again, she was hungry. She hasn't eaten anything since she had some ice cream with Rachel.

She found herself agreeing to go with him for dinner. "As long as it's not poisoned," she said.

Anyway, it's free so she couldn't refuse that.

"I mean, who refuses food? Especially when it's free?" she told herself.

She saw Choi Young Do shook his head. "I don't have any plans of poisoning you." He looked at her and added, "at least not until the ten lunch meals are over."

"Nine," she corrected him and walked ahead of him.

She turned around to ask him something and she was startled that he was looking at her intently.

If she were honest, she could say that she was more surprised at her reaction.

Why did it feel like someone punched her in the stomach? She ignored whatever that reaction was by pretending to check whether there was something stuck in her shoes.

When she looked up at him again, she saw him still looking at her. She noticed that he was wearing dark clothes: black V-neck shirt, red hoodie, and dark blue denim jeans.

"Did…did he just smile?" she thought.

He was wearing dark clothes, and for some reason it made his smile look brighter.

Choi Young Do looked down at his watch, finally breaking their gaze.

To recover from whatever that fleeting feeling was, she yelled at him. "Hey! What are you doing standing there?"

He shook his head and then walked up to her.

They walked side by side and she didn't notice when they started to fall into a step.

They just did.

She frowned when she realized that they were heading towards the direction where all the high-end shops are. "Where are we going?"

"At Carnivore Haven," Choi Young Do replied.

She abruptly stopped on her tracks. "What?"

She examined herself. She was wearing a high-wasted denim skirt, a tucked-in white blouse and a gray cardigan. She looked down and saw that she was using her almost worn out white sneakers and medium-length gray socks.

Had she known that she would pass by let alone go to such a high-end place, she would have dressed better.

"You look quite presentable, if that's what you're worried," Choi Young Do said, as if he just read what was on her mind.

* * *

"**Hey, Choi Young Do**! I thought you were never coming—"

Myung Soo stopped in mid-sentence when he saw the both of them.

"Good evening, Myung Soo," she waved at him. "What is Myung Soo doing here?" she thought.

"I thought so, too," she heard Choi Young Do answered Myung Soo.

"It's because of someone," Choi Young Do added then looked at her.

She made a face. Before she could even react, Myung Soo led them inside.

She frowned and looked up at Choi Young Do. "Is he," she said pointing to Myung Soo, "buying us dinner?"

Choi Young Do smiled a little. "You could say that."

He walked ahead of her and she caught up to him.

Carnivore Heaven looked posh from the outside. When she entered the establishment, she fought the urge to blurt out exclamations of awe.

The interior was so beautiful, grand even. It was well-lighted. Hanging from the ceiling were mini-chandeliers of the same design. The tables were also well-built. The tables were customized with food sculptured on each side. There were sculptured musical instruments in the center of the table.

There was a mini-stage on the eastern side of the restaurant. On that stage were musical instruments such as the grand piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, beat box, and a keyboard. There was microphone stand as well.

"That stage there," Myung Soo pointed towards the direction of the stage, "are for the use of the diners."

She frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

"There is no band here. Any diner who wishes to perform is free to go up on that stage and entertain everyone," Myung Soo answered.

Myung Soo left as soon as they were seated.

"Where is he going?" she asked Choi Young Do.

"To man the counter," Choi Young Do replied.

She looked around and saw that the waiters and waitresses were greeting Myung Soo. Why, they were even bowing to him.

Then the thought hit her. "Does he own this?"

Choi Young Do nodded.

"Wow! Some days I wish I were born into wealth and power," she said.

"It's not as glamorous as you think it is," he countered.

"Says someone who enjoys being rich and the power that goes along with it," she retorted.

"You wouldn't say that if you were me."

"Right. Besides—"

Her sentence died in her throat when the waitress arrived and delivered their food.

She looked at Choi Young Do. "We haven't even ordered yet."

"Myung Soo did. I asked him earlier while we were in our way."

* * *

"**Come on, Choi Young Do. **Give us just one song, man," Myung Soo urged Choi Young Do to go up on stage and sing them a song.

"No. Cha Eun Sang and I were just leaving." He looked at Cha Eun Sang, hoping she'd get the hint.

But she pretended that she didn't. Instead, she shook her head.

She looked at Myung Soo and answered him in between chewing. "No, we aren't leaving yet."

She tried to appear all innocent and clueless. "Why don't you come on up, Choi Young Do?"

She felt like she just won the lottery when she saw the look on his face.

She smiled. She must have looked mischievous because he narrowed his eyes at her. As if his eyes could get any narrower.

She narrowed her eyes back at him, challenging him.

She leaned forward and whispered, "scared of letting these people know that you know nothing besides acting high and mighty?"

He leaned forward, too, and he whispered back. "No. Not at all."

Myung Soo cleared his throat, as if to remind them that he was there. And also probably to prevent them from fighting with each other. Again.

But they didn't break gaze.

It was as if they were at a glaring off contest and whoever blinked first would lose.

Choi Young Do stood up straight and walked towards the mini-stage of the restaurant.

"I can't wait to see you mess this up, Choi Young do," she thought.

She smiled just about as Choi Young Do looked back at her.

She must have looked mischievous because he narrowed his eyes at her. As if his eyes could get any narrower.

She narrowed her eyes back at him, challenging him.

When Choi Young Do sat down on the bar stool placed at the center of the mini-stage, she was prepared to laugh her heart out because she was sure that Choi Young Do would mess it up.

Oh, why was she so sure, you ask? Because if Choi Young Do really knew how to play any of the musical instruments there, he wouldn't have looked so horrified when Myung Soo suggested he come up on stage.

"Ha! Eat dirt, Choi Young Do," she thought.

But when Choi Young Do picked up the acoustic guitar and started picking the strings, she was not prepared for that. Much so when he started strumming easily, as if he had been doing it for years.

Her jaw dropped. "What? It's one of my favorite songs," she thought.

Choi Young Do was playing City and Colour's _Hello, I'm in Delaware._

She was not prepared to like the melody he was making with the guitar. It's like she was being submersed in a flowing river; all the harmony was flowing through her.

She looked at him as if she was seeing him for the first time. Never had she seen him this sad. Or vulnerable.

He looked like a normal, functional teenager and she realized that she had never seen him look this passionate about what he's doing besides, of course, bullying students. Herself included.

She was not prepared that she wanted to look at him and really listen to him sing.

He sang the first line "_So there goes my life," _and she was totally blown.

She didn't know Choi Young Do could play the guitar, more so, sing. She didn't know he had any talents except being constantly annoying.

He was not just singing; he was feeling it.

_Passing by with every exit sign  
It's been so long  
Sometimes I wonder how I will stay strong  
No sleep tonight  
I'll keep on driving these dark highway lines_

"This isn't the time to be thinking. Let's give him a little credit, Cha Eun Sang," she said to herself.

_And as the moon fades  
One more night gone, only twenty more days_

_But I will see you again_  
_I will see you again a long time from now…_

There was something about the way he sang those words that reminded her of the way people talk about someone who had died.

Or someone loved a long time ago; still loved perhaps, in secret.

She did not remember Choi Young coming back to their table. She did not remember going out of the restaurant.

What she remembered was the dim light on that stage burning bright on Choi Young Do's face. And against the dim traces of that light, she found herself wanting to heal Choi Young Do in all the places that he was hurt.


	9. As his December Sun Sets

Cha Eun Sang didn't see Choi Young Do over the course of the next few days.

She hadn't seen him since that night at Carnivore Haven. She hated that she noticed his absence.

So what if he was absent for three days? It didn't have to matter. She hated that she kept count.

She sighed in exasperation as she cleaned the table.

Earlier, she was tempted to ask Myung Soo if he knew where Choi Young Do was. But she got a hold of herself and realized how ludicrous the idea was.

She looked at the door when it chimed, signaling an entrance.

"I'm sorry, but, we're clos—," she almost choked when she saw Choi Young Do walk in the coffee shop.

"I know," he looked at her and he shrugged. He dragged the chair from under the table she was cleaning and sat across from where she was standing.

She looked down at him and frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking you home," he said casually.

He heart skipped a beat and she felt like punishing it. Why was it acting abnormal in Choi Young Do's presence?

"You're crazy," she said in mock irritation, hoping that Choi Young Do didn't notice the tremors in her voice.

"And we'll have dinner. You didn't buy me lunch for three days," he added before she could even say something.

"You were absent," she pointed out.

"Because of reasons," he responded.

"That I don't care about," she retorted.

She went back to the counter and clocked out.

"Chan Young," she shouted from the counter, "I'll go ahead."

"Okay," she heard Chan Young shout from his office.

"Enjoy your date with Choi Young Do," he added.

She almost lost balance when she heard what he said.

"I'm not on a date with him!" she protested.

She heard Chan Young chuckle. "Whatever you say, Cha Eun Sang."

"Whatever, Yoon Chan Young," she shouted back.

She went out the coffee shop and Choi Young Do trailed behind her.

She was surprised by how cold it was outside. She tried not to grit her teeth when the cold wind blew.

Had she known that it would be this cold tonight, she would have brought her jacket with her and al—

Her train of thought got interrupted when she felt Choi Young Do put a jacket around her shoulders.

She looked at him. "You're welcome," he said before she could even thank him.

She smiled a little. "Thanks."

She was walking towards the bus stop when she felt Choi Young Do grabbed her by the arm. He pulled her to the opposite direction.

She tried to jerk her arm away, but, he held on to it tightly. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you home," he said without looking at her.

He half-dragged her as they walked towards the parking lot.

"Choi Young Do, news flash: you can't just order people around!"

He frowned at her, "why not?"

She rolled her eyes. "Uh, because people aren't puppies?"

He ignored her sarcastic remark. "Come on, I'm taking you home."

"I'm fine, Choi Young Do. I can go home by myself."

"It's already late. It's dangerous for you to be taking the bus home. And alone at that."

She laughed. "I always go home late. I always go home by myself."

He ran his other hand through his hair and let out a sigh. She could tell that he was getting frustrated.

"Why are you so stubborn? Just let me take you home!"

"Why are you shouting? What are you so angry about?"

"I'm just worried that something bad will happen to you if you go home alone at this hour!"

Her eyes grew wide. She looked at him and he let go of her arm. It was so sudden, so hard, that she almost went out of balance. Judging by the look on his face, he was clearly surprised as she was.

Their eye contact lingered as neither one of them said anything. "I hate awkward moments," she thought.

Choi Young Do finally broke their gaze by looking down at his watch. Without saying a word, he started walking towards the parking lot.

She didn't know why she started walking towards that direction, too.

They were walking in silence and it made her uncomfortable.

She thought it was not just the silence that made her uncomfortable. It must also because the wake of his words had left her spinning.

She tried to break the silence. "I thought we're having dinner?"

"We are."

He walked towards a black car, she didn't know what kind but she was sure it was expensive. It looked expensive, at least.

He opened the passenger seat of the said expensive-looking black car. "Get in," he said.

She did. Choi Young Do waited until she was buckled up before he shut the door. As he was walking around to his side, she noticed the car smelled like…cheese and egg. Not old, stale cheese. Not old, stale egg. It smelled fresh. Her stomach growled.

When Choi Young Do got in, he reached into the back seat and grabbed a sack. "We don't have time to eat, so I bought a cheese and egg sandwich." He handed her a sandwich and a bottle of water.

He unwrapped his sandwich and took a bite. "It's getting late so I'm gonna drive you home while we eat," he said with a mouthful of bread. He navigated the steering wheel with his free hand as he simultaneously ate and drove.

They both finished their sandwiches and she put the trash back in the bag and placed it in the backseat. They were driving in silence and she was uncomfortable.

She tried not to mind and tried to enjoy watching the buildings go by instead.

But she couldn't.

She tried to think of something to say to break the silence, so she asked him about his family.

"What are your parents like?"

"Rich," he replied without any second thoughts.

She rolled her eyes. "I know. Everybody knows."

She looked at him. "I mean, what are they like as parents?"

"My dad, well…" He paused. "He's hard-working. He's a good provider."

She rolled her eyes again. "Obviously. Otherwise you wouldn't be this rich."

He looked at her shortly then looked straight to the road. "What do you mean, _this_ rich?"

She shrugged. "You know, very rich. Filthy rich."

He didn't respond, it was as if he did not hear anything.

"What about your mom? What is she like?"

"Gone."

She frowned. "What do you mean, gone?"

"Gone. Not here."

She looked at him, urging him to tell her more and he shrugged. "She left," he said

The way he said it, it was exactly the same way when he sang that song at Carnivore Haven. There was something about the way he said it, about his voice, that reminded her of the way people talk about someone who had died. The way people talk about some people in the past tense.

"Do you know where she is?"

He didn't respond, but, she saw him clench and unclench his jaw.

In a surge of sympathy, she felt like she wanted to hold his hand the way her mother does whenever she's feeling sad. She wanted to hold his hand because she knew how comforting it was. She wanted to hold his hand. She wanted to comfort him, but, decided against it.

She shook her head. "It must be the lack of sleep I've gotten over the past few days," she thought.

"You look tired. You can sleep on our way to your house."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

He smirked, "what?"

She narrowed her eyes then frowned at him.

He laughed mockingly. "Come on, you're not even that pretty," he said when he finally understood what she was hinting at.

She made a face at him, then faced the passenger seat window. She couldn't remember the last time she fell asleep in a moving vehicle. Choi Young Do was right, she was tired. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.

She looked out the window and watched the buildings go by. The city was well-lighted and the city lights looked like a bed of electric flowers.

She smiled at the thought. She took out her notebook and wrote it down. "It was a good turn of phrase," she thought.

She did not notice when he pulled over to their apartment's driveway. They were renting a humble apartment just an hour outside of the city. They were renting an apartment at a sub-urban community. She liked it here because it was not as expensive compared to the apartments in the city.

Choi Young Do turned the car engine off and she looked at him. He was still silent.

She cleared her throat and paused. "Thank you for bringing me home, Choi Young Do."

She was about to open the door when he grabbed her hand. She looked at him to ask what the matter was.

He didn't say anything for a long time. He just looked at her and it made her uncomfortable.

"My jacket," he said after prolonged silence and awkward eye contact.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she paused as she handed him his jacket, "here."

He held her hand that held his jacket and before she could even react, he pulled her towards him. Both arms on her side, eyes open wide. She was surprised. She didn't know what to make of what was going on.

"Thank you, Cha Eun Sang," he whispered. He sounded so gentle.

She almost laughed at the incredulity of it all. Gentle was the last adjective to describe Choi Young Do.

Also, what was he thanking her for?

She stiffened when she realized whose arms were around her. Her heart beat violently against her chest. If she were honest, she would acknowledge that her abnormal heart beat was because of Choi Young Do's arms wrapped around her. Because Choi Young Do was too close for comfort.

But she was not in the mood to be honest about it. So, she just stayed there. As still as a statue.

She felt it when he pulled her closer. She let him pull her closer, just a little bit.

He pulled her closer and held her there.

Anything but further.


	10. I Need You so Much Closer

"**I'm sorry, but, we're clos—"**

Choi Young Do entered the coffee shop just the same, not minding that it was closed. "I know," he looked at Cha Eun Sang and he shrugged. He dragged the chair from under the table she was cleaning and sat across from where she was standing.

She looked down at him and frowned. "What are you doing here?"

"Taking you home," he said, trying to appear as casual as possible. His eyes grew wide when he realized what he said. He suddenly felt embarrassed but he did his best to appear anything but. He sat lazily and brought his feet up the table.

Cha Eun Sang clicked her tongue and said, "You're crazy."

"And we'll have dinner. You didn't buy me lunch for three days," he added, an attempt to clarify that he was just there because of the lunch meals she promised she'd share with him. That's about it. Nothing more.

"You were absent," she argued.

"Because of reasons," he responded, starting to feel irritated.

"That I don't care about," she retorted.

He made a face, "this girl, really—"

His irritation grew when she ignored him as she went to the counter. He just shook his head as he looked at her from where he was sitting.

"Chan Young," she shouted from the counter, "I'll go ahead."

"Okay," he heard Chan Young shout from his office. "Enjoy your date with Choi Young Do," Chan Young added. He almost choked when he heard what Chan Young said.

"I'm not on a date with him!" Cha Eun Sang protested before he could even say something.

She heard Chan Young chuckle. "Whatever you say, Cha Eun Sang."

"Whatever, Yoon Chan Young," she shouted back.

She went out the coffee shop and he trailed behind her.

He could tell just by looking at her that she didn't know it was this cold outside. He saw her clench her jaw, attempting not to grit her teeth when the cold wind blew.

He debated with himself for a few seconds then he sighed and shook his head. He took off his jacket as he walked towards her. She looked at him when she felt him wrap his jacket around her shoulders

He raised an eyebrow. "You're welcome," he said before she could even thank him.

She smiled a little. "Thanks."

He frowned when Cha Eun Sang started walking towards the bus stop; he grabbed her by the arm. He pulled her to the opposite direction.

She tried to jerk her arm away, but, he held on to it tightly. "Hey! What are you doing?"

"I'm taking you home," he said without looking at her.

He was on his way home earlier when he decided to stop by the convenience shop he usually goes to. He decided to just buy a cup ramen on his way home when he overheard two students. Judging by their uniform, he could tell they were from a different school.

"I heard, they were meeting along Maple Drive," one of the students said.

"For what? For their initiation rites?"

He shrugged. "Fraternities," he thought.

"Yes," he heard one of the students again. "And if you're unlucky to be passing by that street even when you're not a member of that organization, you'll have to do the rites."

He walked towards their table and he sat down from the chair across them. The two students looked surprised, but, he just shook his head. "No, don't worry about me. Go on. Talk."

The two students looked at each other and made a move to stand up, but he glared at them so they sat back. He looked at them and shrugged, "talk."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "What were you talking about? What about Maple Drive?"

One of the students looked at him, "w-we were told that a fraternity," he paused. "f-from our school will hold its initiation rites later tonight."

He looked at him, urging the student to tell him more. "A-and it's dangerous if someone happens to be there when the initiation rites begin."

He leapt to his feet when he remembered that Yoon Chan Young's coffee shop is at Maple Drive. He ran to the parking lot when he remembered that Cha Eun Sang usually works until 10 or 11PM. She might be caught in the middle of the ruckus.

Cha Eun Sang's voice woke him from his reverie. "Choi Young Do, news flash: you can't just order people around!"

He frowned at her, "why not?"

She rolled her eyes. "Uh, because people aren't puppies?"

He ignored her sarcastic remark and led her to his car as he gripped her arm. "Come on, I'm taking you home."

"I'm fine, Choi Young Do. I can go home by myself."

He tried to sound irritated so she would not hear a trace of worry in his voice. "It's already late. It's dangerous for you to be taking the bus home. And alone at that."

She laughed. "I always go home late. I always go home by myself."

He gripped her arm as he led her to the parking lot. He clenched his jaw and ran his free hand through his hair. He let out a sigh, getting frustrated.

"Why are you so stubborn? Just let me take you home!"

"Why are you shouting? What are you so angry about?"

"I'm just worried that something bad will happen to you if you go home alone at this hour!" he said, raising his voice.

Cha Eun Sang looked at him through wide eyes. She just looked at him and when he realized what he just said, he let go of her arm. He literally pushed her away, hardly so as Cha Eun Sang almost lost her balance.

"You idiot," he thought. "Just what did you say?"

Their eye contact lingered as neither one of them said anything. "Awkward," he thought. They held gaze for a few more seconds. He finally broke their gaze by looking down at his watch. Without saying a word, he walked towards the parking lot, leaving Cha Eun Sang.

"I thought we're having dinner?"

He almost jolted when he heard her. He frowned when she sounded so casual; it was as if she didn't hear anything from him earlier. He clenched his jaw. "What did you expect, Choi Young Do?" he thought, chastising himself. He turned around to look at her. Judging by her protests earlier, he didn't think she'd follow him here. He thought she just stayed there or that she walked towards the bus station. He decided he would wait for the bus with her had she chosen to stay and commute.

He smiled. "We are," he answered as nonchalantly as possible.

He opened the passenger seat and gestured her to get in.

She did. He waited until she was buckled up before he shut the door.

He was driving quietly, trying to calm himself. It didn't help a bit that Cha Eun Sang kept on asking him about his family. He didn't want to talk about his family or lack thereof. He cursed inwardly because didn't understand why he felt so rattled. He told himself countless times that it was just Cha Eun Sang sitting on the passenger seat. Cha Eun Sang, the charity case from school. The nobody who owed him lunch meals otherwise he wouldn't drop the lawsuit.

It made him wonder how Cha Eun Sang seemed so comfortable and not awkward at all. It irked him that he was the only one reacting weirdly on this. Cha Eun Sang seemed just like her normal self. Cha Eun Sang seemed anything but anxious, so why did he feel like throwing up?

He saw her shook her head and yawned a little. He looked at her sideways and noticed the dark circles under her eyes. "You look tired. You can sleep on our way to your house."

She narrowed her eyes at him.

He smirked, "what?"

She narrowed her eyes then frowned at him.

He laughed mockingly when he finally understood what she was hinting at. "Come on, you're not even that pretty," he said, not trying to sound defensive. She made a face at him and he smiled a little just as she faced the passenger seat window.

Cha Eun Sang thanked him by the time they reached her house.

He grabbed her hand just as she was about to open the passenger seat door. She looked and he didn't say anything for a long time. He just looked at her and he debated with himself whether or not to tell her why he'd been absent.

He cursed inside his head. Why did he feel like explaining to her? He did not owe her anything. Cha Eun Sang was just a nobody whom he was using to annoy Kim Tan. "Really?" his mind teased him. He shook his head.

After that awkward eye contact, he decided against telling her and instead he said, "My jacket."

"Oh, I almost forgot," she paused as she handed him his jacket, "here."

He didn't know what came over him that instead of just getting the jacket from her hand, he pulled her in for a hug and he felt her tensed. He was tensed, too. His hands felt cold and it was as if his heart wanted to get out of his chest.

"Thank you, Cha Eun Sang," he said almost inaudibly.

She tensed even more when he pulled her closer, just a little bit. And he held there, anything but further.

Out of his peripheral vision, he saw her smile a little as she exited the car. She started walking away from the car and toward her house. He rolled the windows down and called her, "Hey, Cha Eun Sang!"

She turned around, both eyebrows raised. "Yes?"

His heartbeat still violently beating inside of his chest, he cleared his throat. "You look rather pretty today," was all he said before he drove away.


	11. Of Pitch Dark Skies and Stars

**Cha Eun Sang couldn't** sleep even when she finally collapsed onto her bed. They were so busy at the coffee shop earlier plus two of her colleagues were absent. She felt exhausted in every inch of her body, yet she couldn't sleep despite of that.

She was listening to Death Cab for Cutie and she thought of Choi Young Do when Your Heart is an Empty Room randomly played from her playlist.

_Burn it down till the embers smoke on the ground  
And start new when your heart is an empty room  
With walls of the deepest blue_

_Home's face: how it ages when you're away  
Spring blooms and you find the love that's true  
But you don't know what now to do  
Cause the chase is all you know  
And she stopped running months ago_

_And all you see  
Is where else you could be  
When you're at home  
Out on the street  
Are so many possibilities  
To not be alone_

__He seemed sad and tired and exhausted. Her jaw dropped and her heartbeat began to race when the memory struck her. "He hugged me," she thought. In that moment, she knew that she should push him away because he just might use it against her. She'd never know, Choi Young Do might file another lawsuit against her, physical injury or something. But when he hugged her earlier, it didn't even last more than fifteen seconds, but she kind of felt like Choi Young Do let out all the sadness into that hug. It was as if he did that because he must have thought that it would be comforting. She almost laughed at the idea. "The high and mighty Choi Young Do, looking to you for comfort? Don't flatter yourself, Cha Eun Sang," she thought.

She didn't want to pry into what he was doing and why he'd been absent, but, she couldn't help her curiosity. She was tempted many times during that ride home to ask as to what was up with him, but reined herself. Didn't she tell herself to not get involved? She didn't care about him, anyway. Didn't she tell herself that she'd remain as invisible as possible until she graduates from Jeguk High? But Choi Young Do was making it difficult for her to be invisible.

She kept on tossing and turning and she let out a sigh of exasperation. She let out a deep breath and decided to get up. She looked down at the iPod in her hands and smiled. "Thanks for staying," she said. She got her iPod as a gift from her mother on her 18th birthday. Her mother bought a pre-loved iPod shuffle and it didn't matter that it wasn't brand new. She was so grateful that she did all the household chores all throughout her birthday week. Her iPod still on, she sat down and stared at the wall for a couple of minutes. She just zoned out as she listened to music. She sighed and decided to get up. Holding her iPod in her hands, she walked towards her window. She sat down at her window sill and looked up at the sky. "Wow, stars," she thought as she hugged her knees.

She breathed—in and out, in and out—and tilted her head, her sharp kneecaps pushing against her cheekbone. She had always been overwhelmed by starry skies. She would always think about her dad whenever she'd look up at a starry sky. She remembered when she was five years old and her kitten died. Her father arranged a _funeral _for Tae Hee, her kitten. She was and still is a fan of Kim Tae Hee, so she decided to name her cat after her.

She was still crying by the time her father was done digging Tae Hee's grave. He father pointed to the sky, "See that bright star over there?"

She wiped her tears and she nodded in between sobs.

"That's Tae Hee," he looked down at her and smiled.

She didn't look so convinced so her father kneeled in front of her and took her face in his hands. "That's Tae Hee over there. Don't you believe me?"

She sobbed and shook her head. "She's dead. We just had her funeral. She's down there," she pointed at her kitten's grave.

Her father scooped her into his arms and let her sit on his lap. "Don't you know that when the people or pets we love die, they go to heaven?"

"I know," she answered, her sobs gradually stopping.

"Tae Hee is in heaven now. Transformed into a star. That star," his father pointed to the star he mentioned earlier.

Her eyes brightened up. "Really?"

Her father nodded. "Yes."

"And halmoni," she paused. "She's also a star now, right?"

Her father nodded.

"And hal-abeoji"

Her father smiled and said, "yes."

She let out a shriek of joy and hugged her father tight, "Thank you, Daddy!"

She looked up and laughed a little. Her father had always had an ability to deliver an entire lecture with a single glance. She got the glance. "I mean, thank you, Appa!"

Her father would always tell her to use Korean honorifics even when they live in the United States, and she would always get scolded because she would mostly just ignore that. Well, not now. After all, he made Tae Hee comfortable in its grave."

"Good girl," he r father laughed as he led her inside the house. The next day, she asked her parents if they could enlarge her window and if they could use a glass window, instead. When her parents asked her why, she said she wanted to always look at Tae Hee and her grandparents. "Also, I want a big window so halmoni and hal-abeoji can also see me from up there," she explained.

Cha Eun Sang smiled at the thought and felt the tears well up at the corner of her eyes. That same day, her father fixed her window. She sighed. She hated thinking about her father in the past tense; her father's rightful place is in the present, in the now. He should be here. He'd still be here if it weren't for the lung cancer that took him away from her and her mom.

She was scared of the idea that her memories with her father would sooner or later fall apart.

"If that happens, then I'll be left with nothing. I'll be aware of what's supposed to be _there," _she thought.

Her iPod stopped playing. She checked it to see if it reached the end of the playlist, but, she couldn't see anything. She clicked her tongue. "Dead battery," she thought.

"I miss you, Appa."

She looked up at the stars again. Just like the stars, memories have illusions of permanence. They were always sneaking in, flaring up, making their ways in and out of her mind. But at this vantage point, she could at least pretend that things last, that moments last longer than memories.


	12. A Prelude to Sunrise

"Snap out of it, Cha Eun Sang," she chastised herself as she was making her way towards the locker area. "It shouldn't bother you. It was no big deal," she added as soon as she reached her locker.

She hadn't looked in the mirror, but, she was pretty sure she looked haggard. She hated that Choi Young Do hugging her last night bothered her more than she thought it would.

She sighed then proceeded to open her locker.

She was organizing her things in her locker when her phone chimed. She smiled upon reading her mom's text message.

"I'll text you back later, mom," she thought as she closed her locker door.

"Did you sleep well?"

She jumped and whipped around at the voice.

"Choi Young Do," she thought and rolled her eyes.

She hadn't even looked in the mirror this morning. Embarrassed, she did her best to appear anything but.

She didn't answer him; instead she just looked at him and frowned, feigning irritation to mask the nervousness she felt. What she was nervous about, she didn't know.

"Don't you really know?" a voice inside her head asked. She shook her head and snubbed Choi Young Do squarely. She turned the other way and walked away from him as fast as she could.

It pissed her off that it bothered her that it didn't seem to bother him. You know, that hug from last night. Ugh! Why was she making a big deal out of it?

"Snap out of it, Cha Eun Sang," she thought and walked even faster.

"Hey, Cha Eun Sang!" She heard him call out behind her, but, she ignored him and continued walking away from him.

"Hey!" He grabbed her wrist once he caught up to her.

She rolled her eyes then turned around to look at him. "What?"

He frowned. "What _what_?"

She frowned back and frowned even deeper when he smiled. "What? What's so funny?"

He shrugged, "you." He added, "are you bothered by that moment we shared last night?"

She rolled her eyes. Okay. He was teasing her. And he was enjoying it. He was openly laughing at her discomfort now, and her irritation towards him is growing at a ridiculously rapid rate.

She scowled at him then she looked down at his hand around her wrist. Choi Young Do let go of her wrist and his hand went into his bag. "Here," he paused as he handed her something. "You forgot this in the car."

She frowned and she caught her breath when she saw what it was. She grabbed it from him, "My journal!" She grabbed it from him then looked at him through narrowed eyes.

As if reading her thoughts, Choi Young Do shook his head. "No, I didn't read it,"

She was still looking at him when she opened her journal. She flipped through the pages gently, then violently when she couldn't find the dried leaves inserted in her journal notebook.

"Where the hell are the dried leaves inserted in this journal, Choi Young Do?"

"I don't know. I didn't even open tha—"

"What did you do with them?" she asked him calmly, trying to hide the storm of emotions she was feeling.

"I told you, I didn't even open that journal!"

She shook her head, feeling frustrated. "If you didn't open my notebook, then why aren't they here?"

Choi Young Do scoffed, "Come on, Cha Eun Sang. What's the big deal? They're just dried leaves, for christ's sake!"

She scoffed and shook her head. "Well, for the information of your royal douchebaggery it is a big deal because they're mine to begin with!"

Choi Young Do's mouth dropped a little and some anger seeped into his expression.

"Wow! Did you just become angry? Thanks! That's so considerate of you to be angry on my behalf!" she said sarcastically.

Holding the strap of his bag a little tighter, Choi Young Do replied, "I tossed it."

Her jaw dropped and when she fully realized what he just said, she shoved his shoulder as hard as she possibly could. "You what? Those weren't yours to get rid of, asshole!"

Face heated, Choi Young Do took a step forward. "You left it in my car."

"Not on purpose," she half-whispered, half-screamed; Desperate not to draw attention from other students, but, frustrated enough to want to bawl his eyes out.

"If you lost it somewhere in the park, no one would return it to you."

She drew in a breath and slowly exhaled. She shook her head and sneered, "You think you're really entitled."

"I am entitled," he retorted. "And it's not my problem that you left it in my car," he shrugged. "My car isn't your personal storage unit," he added then walked away.

"Wow. I couldn't believe that just last night, I thought this asshole was sad or going through some difficulty," she thought.

She was left there standing, mouth agape. "What the eff did just happen? No, you can't just walk out on me."

She ran after him, "Hey Choi Young Do!"

Before he could even react, her fist landed on his left cheek. Even she was surprised that she hit him hard, judging by how the bones in her hand hurt and started to numb.

"What the—"

She covered her mouth and feigned surprise. "Oh, my! I didn't know what I was doing." He was shooting her dagger looks, but she ignored him. "I must have been possessed by the tree spirits, avenging the kidnap of their kind. My bad," she added then started walking away."

"Hey!"

She ignored him and she kept walking, a small smile played on her lips.

"Hey, Cha Eun Sang!"

She kept walking and—

"Are you deaf?" he asked as soon as he caught up to her.

She smirked. "It's my default setting to be hard of hearing when you talk to me."

"How many lunch meals do you still owe me?"

"I don't know. Three? Two? Somewhere between that."

He laughed exasperatedly. "You're cheating, Cha Eun Sang. I'm sure it's still around five or seven meals."

"You've been absent, remember?"

"Yes, but, just for a few days!"

"So?"

"So, you still owe me around five or seven meals!"

"But it's not my fault that you went on an absenteeism spree, is it?"

Choi Young Do drew in a breath and slowly exhaled. "Okay, here's the deal. You wouldn't owe me any more meals and—"

"Really? That's amazing! I mean, I've be—"

"I'm not done yet," he cut her off. "Manners, Cha Eun Sang."

She shrugged. "Okay, go on."

"You wouldn't owe me any more lunch meals as long as you have dinner with me. Tonight," Choi Young Do said.

"Just like that? Just one dinner?" she asked suspiciously.

"Yes, just like that."

"He's fidgeting. Is he fidgeting?" she thought.

She eyed him suspiciously. "Since I don't take orders from you," she raised her left eyebrow, "I'm gonna need a better reason."

"If I tell you, you have no choice but to have dinner with me tonight."

"What?"

"That's the deal."

"Alright," she said. She thought, whatever the reason was, she could handle it. If it meant the lunch meals are gonna be over, then she's up for it.

Choi Young Do looked at her and she could see different emotions playing in his eyes. She was starting to feel uncomfortable now that he hasn't said anything yet. He was just looking at her and she hated that she is bothered by his stare.

"I like you," was all he said before he walked towards the gym.

"Said the person who walked out on her twice in a row today," she thought sarcastically.

But in spite of herself, Cha Eun Sang had to pick her jawbone off the floor.


	13. An Afternoon of Wit and Repartee

**"Snap out of it!"** Cha Eun Sang chastised herself as she walked out the campus. "What he said didn't matter. It doesn't matter. It shouldn't," she thought.

She took out her ipod from her bag and put her earplugs on as she walked away from Jeguk High. She still had time to kill before her shift starts; she did not have any idea where she wanted to go so she just walked aimlessly. Besides, she needed a distraction. She didn't want to be thinking about what Choi Young Do said earlier.

She scoffed. Choi Young Do likes her? "Get over yourself, Cha Eun Sang," she thought as she walked further away from the campus to nowhere. She didn't mind walking aimlessly as long as she listened to music. Music has always calmed her; it amazed her how music can wound or heal someone. It amazed her what music can do when done beautifully. She smiled when she heard the intro to Passion Pit's _Take A Walk._ "How appropriate," she thought. She smiled then turned volume all the way up and continued walking, her head bobbing to the music blasting off her headset.

_All these kinds of places  
__Make it seem like it's been ages  
__Tomorrow some new building will scrape the sky  
__I love this country dearly  
__I can feel the ladder clearly_

_But I never thought I'd be alone to try  
__Once I was outside Penn station  
__Selling red and white carnations_

_We were still alone,  
__My wife and I  
__Before we marry, save my money  
__Brought my dear wife over_

_Now I want to bring my family state side  
__But off the boat they stayed awhile  
__Then scattered across the coast_

_Once a year I'll see them for a week or so at most  
__I took a walk  
__Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk  
__Take a walk, take a walk, take a walk_

She whipped around when she felt someone grab her left arm. "What the fu—"

"Language, Cha Eun Sang."

"Choi Young Do," she heaved a sigh as she took her earplugs off with her right hand. "What?"

Choi Young Do didn't let go of her arm but held her by the wrist instead. He smiled at her; it was a laughless smile and it reeked of mockery. Yet there was something in his eyes, strikingly black—the color of the skies full of stars—and the way they contrasted with his white complexion that made her pause. He looked very handsome today. So handsome she could practically feel a physical pain in her chest.

"Handsome? This guy?" she thought. "What are you thinking, Cha Eun Sang?"

He was not supposed to be handsome! She was not supposed to find him handsome! He was a bully, he was rich, stupid, repulsive! This one . . . this . . . How unfair of him to be rich and beautiful.

She shifted on her feet as he frowned down at her, surveying her in turn.

"What?"

She blinked and took a step back. "What what?"

"You're staring, Cha Eun Sang."

She almost apologized, but stopped. He was an arrogant, high and mighty yet utterly impudent rich kid with a sense of entitlement. "Let go of my hand."

"I'm not holding you by the hand, technically."

She rolled her eyes and yet again shifted on her feet. "Let go of my wrist."

""I was totally kidding," he said, letting go of her wrist.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She scoffed and raised a hand dismissively as she started walking towards the bench nearby.

Cha Eun Sang felt him walk behind her and she rolled her eyes when he sat on the opposite end of the bench she was sitting on. "Could you please leave and let me enjoy listening to music in peace?"

"I was just kidding," Choi Young Do's lips peeled into a smile. "You didn't think I actually like you, right?" She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"See? What an asshole," she thought as she rolled her eyes.

She scoffed. "That's cute. You assume that I assume you have emotions," she laughed but her laughter died in her lips when she saw him clench and unclench his jaw. A look passed over him and if she didn't know any better, she'd think that he was hurt.

"Says the girl who doesn't know how to handle emotions," Choi Young Do chuckled, his annoying grin back in place.

She looked at him sideways and crossed her arms over her chest. "I know how to handle my emotions very well, thank you very much." She smiled sweetly at him and added, "Like right now, I want to squish your eyeballs under my feet, but, look at how civilized I am."

"Do you want to go to a concert with me?"

She coughed. "What?" Where did that even come from? That was so random.

Choi Young Do took an intake of breath, heavy and reeked of irritation. "Are you deaf?"

She smirked. "Didn't I tell you that I'm always hard of hearing whenever I hear your annoying voice?"

Choi Young Do smiled as if he knew something she didn't. She frowned, "what?"

Choi Young Do shrugged but didn't say anything so she slapped his arm. "What is it?"

He didn't say anything and just looked at her. Cha Eun Sang looked intimated by Choi Young Do for a moment and sat slightly further away from him. His eyes, an impossibly deep shade of black, looked at her, as he cocked his head slightly to the side in a distractingly charming way.

"Do you, by any chance, like me?" His voice was low and slightly husky.

She was taken aback by the absurdity of the question that she didn't know what to say. When she recovered, she laughed almost hysterically. "Allow me to process that," she said in between laughter.

"That doesn't answer the question," Choi Young Do remarked.

Then his words hit her. Her dark eyes bugged out and she openly gaped at him. Then she started laughing. "Oh my god, are you serious? Is that a serious question?"

She was laughing openly now but her laughter died in her throat when she saw him start to smile.

Choi Young Do crossed his legs as he started to laugh. "It's funny. You, trying to dodge the question."

Cha Eun Sang rolled her eyes when she finally stopped laughing. "No, Choi Young Do. I don't like you in whatever way you're insinuating."

He shrugged. "I'm not insinuating anything...or any way. What do you think am I insinuating?"

She smirked. "Whatever, Choi Young Do. I don't even like you as a person, let alone like you in that way."

"What way?"

She raised a hand dismissively and put on her ear pods. "Whatever, Choi Young Do."

But no, Choi Young Do wasn't done yet. "What are you insinuating?"

Okay. This wasn't going anywhere. Cha Eun Sang got up from the bench and started walking further away from Choi Young Do.

"Hey, Cha Eun Sang!" Choi Young Do called out from behind her.

Cha Eun Sang didn't look back but she waved her hand as she walked away. She turned the volume of her ipod up so she could lis—

"If you don't stop walking, that means you have a slight crush on me."

Cha Eun Sang abruptly stopped, restraining the urge to keep walking. "I'm going to rip your hair out," she thought, her heart pounding like crazy.

* * *

**"WHAT WERE YOU THINKING,** Choi Young Do?" he muttered as he slammed the book close.

"You asked her to have dinner with you. You asked her to go to a concert with you," Choi Young Do thought. "Are you out of your mind?"

Choi Young Do opened his book then closed it again and sighed. "What a terrible ending," he thought. He stood from the chair and walked out of his bedroom to his terrace. Why, he even told her he liked her. He took what he said back and he could only hope that Cha Eun Sang bought it and-

"No. She never believed it in the first place," he thought remembering what Cha Eun Sang said.

"I was just kidding," his lips peeled into a smile. "You didn't think I actually like you, right?" She raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

Cha EunSang rolled her eyes then she scoffed. "That's cute. You assume that I assume you have emotions," she laughed

He paced through the terrace then went back to his bedroom. Cha Eun Sang had more important things to do than think about what he said earlier, did she?

How is Cha Eun Sang not bothered by any of it at all?

He didn't enjoy being like this. He'd really made a fool out of himself by blurting out that he liked her. What was he thinking? When they were at the locker area earlier, where he blurted out that he liked her, he imagined Cha Eun Sang calling him all sorts of nasty things. Before she could do so, he walked away. He'd been wondering just how much Cha Eun Sang hated him.

How had he gone from the most feared student in Jeguk High School to this sappy mess?

Choi Young Do eyed his guitar. He used to play; he loved music, the way music could break and heal and make everything seem possible and heroic. He hadn't played the guitar for so long, he was not sure if he could still play as good as he did back then.

He had been good once—perhaps better than good. His mom made him play for her whenever they stayed at their house's music room. Choi Young Do walked to where his guitar slung. He pulled it down and took it off its case. Cradling the guitar, he tapped and pulled the strings, testing them. He started tuning the guitar and before he even realized it, he was already playing and singing.

_oh they say people come, say people go_  
_this particular diamond was extra special_  
_and though you might be gone, and the world may not know_  
_still I see you, celestial_

_like a lion you ran, a goddess you rolled_  
_like an eagle you circled, in perfect purple_  
_so how come things move on, how come cars don't slow_  
_when it feels like the end of my world_  
_when I should but I can't let you go?_

_but when I'm cold, cold_  
_oh when I'm cold, cold_  
_there's a light that you give me when I'm in shadow_  
_there's a feeling you give me, an everglow_

_like brothers in blood, sisters who ride_  
_and we swore on that night we'd be friends til we die_  
_but the changing of winds, and the way waters flow_  
_life as short as the falling of snow_  
_and now I'm gonna miss you I know_

_but when I'm cold, cold_  
_in water rolled, salt_  
_I know that you're with me and the way you will show_  
_and you're with me wherever I go_  
_and you give me this feeling this everglow_

_oh- I I I I_  
_what I wouldn't give for just a moment to hold_  
_yeah I live for this feeling this everglow _

_so if you love someone, you should let them know_  
_oh the light that you left me will everglow_

Everglow. It was a very sad song, but it felt like it made him into something clean if not entirely new. He had always had a penchant for sad songs and it scared him that he might actually be a sad soul. The notes burst from his fingers, staggering at first, but then more confidently as the emotion in the music took over. He smiled a little when he realized that even after such a long time, his hands had not forgotten. He forgot about time as he sang and played, voicing the unspeakable, opening old wounds and realizing how music is ruined by the people who are no longer in your life.

_Everglow by Coldplay_


End file.
